As the Internet has evolved, users have begun to access information on remote servers using small devices, such as handheld devices, cellular phones, laptop computers, and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants). These small client devices have smaller displays, less powerful processors, less memory, and different user interfaces than traditional laptop or desktop computers.
Some of these devices suffer from problems when attempting to interface with current servers, which were designed to accommodate traditional desktop computers. First, some devices have awkward and difficult input techniques, such as selecting letters on a screen using a stylus or finger. Second, since current information providers have designed their data on the servers to have a format convenient for and compatible with traditional desktop computers, there can be a format mismatch between the data and the device attempting to receive the data and communicate it to the user. Third, the format of the data is often inconvenient for the users of small devices. Finally, small devices with a slow processor and small memory cannot easily handle the large amounts of data from current servers.
Thus, there is a need for a solution that will enable a variety of devices to take advantage of the data created by information providers.